Category: Limited Editions

Part creation myth, part fable about the power of belief, Genesis by Joel Fried gives voice to one of the founding principles of Papaveria itself. Such a seemingly simple thing is belief—we either have it or we don’t, and usually whether we have it or not depends on factors so varied that we cannot name them all. And yet, it is a simple thing, for we only do those things in which we believe.

The book is case bound with a reinforced spine including headbands. It is covered in a celestial print paper with standard black bookcloth on the spine and the title in gold, metallic paper. Inside, the endleaves are of a gold translucent paper and images are included on the inner front and back covers.

This title is sold out.

Joel Fried studied philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. When he is not thinking deep and important thoughts, he writes fiction and poetry, unless he needs inspiration, in which case he probably has his nose in a book.

Gunkanjima, or Battleship Island, is a tiny island in Nagasaki Prefecture on which coal was discovered in 1810. A boom followed, and the island was heavily populated and owned from seabed to rooftop by the Mitsubishi Corporation. At one point it was the single most densely populated area on the planet, before or since. Everything was imported to the island, including building materials — not even a blade of grass grew there.

It is said that the wind there always tastes like metal.

A tale of wind and metal by Catherynne M. Valente. This handbound book is perfect bound with a Japanese paper cover and black satin spine. The book is overlaid with stained metal, below which rests the skeleton of a leaf. Because of the nature of the materials used in this creation, no two of these books are identical.

Her foot is pointed like a dancer’s, laces inward,
indicating darkness. The bend in her knee is not quite classical—
the bone protrudes, white-blind, and her calf is mapped:
scar, welt, sun. It hesitates, ostrich-elongate,
and the ribbon knotted at the perfumed hollow of her ankle
flutters.

The wind out of the deep smells of myrrh and cardamom,
and meat just shy of spoil.

Does she hear the sea far off from her? Does she hear the working

of worms in the ceiling of loam?

So begins The Descent of Inanna, a modern re-imagining of an ancient yet timeless myth. Though based on the original text, Catherynne’s version is a fresh look at Ereshkigal’s underworld and Inanna’s descent into it. In Catherynne’s usual graceful style, we are drawn with Inanna down into the depths and, with a breathtaking end, finally led back towards the light.

“Valente’s version is superb, a wonderfully rich-as-the-earth reshaping of the poem.”

— Hal Duncan, Author of Vellum

Printed on linen paper with a metallic copper cover and spine done in satin fabric. The cover art is based on the Burney relief and was created especially for the book by Aria Nadii. The interior text border, a combination of a traditional Sumerian design, arabesques and stylized fig leaves, was designed by Erzebet for Inanna.

A limited edition of 50 numbered copies. Numbers 1-10 were signed by the author and included a special audio cd of Catherynne reading the poem.